NEW YORK CITY DOCTOR INFECTED WITH EBOLA?
A physician with Doctors Without Borders who returned from
West Africa recently has tested positive for Ebola at a New York City hospital,
the city's mayor confirmed.The doctor developed a fever and gastrointestinal symptoms, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said in a statement on Thursday
The doctor has been identified as Craig Spencer, who lives
in Manhattan's Harlem neighbourhood, according to New York City Councilman Mark
Levine.
The doctor reported his fever on Thursday morning, and
Doctors Without Borders said it promptly notified the city health department.
The patient, who returned to the United States within the past 21 days, is being treated at Bellevue Hospital, the health department said. Twenty-one days is the maximum incubation period for Ebola.
Bellevue, a historic city hospital, is one of the eight hospitals in New York state designated earlier this month as part of an Ebola preparedness plan.
- "A person in New York City, who recently worked with Doctors Without Borders in one of the Ebola-affected countries in West Africa, notified our office this morning to report having developed a fever," Doctors Without Borders said in a statement.
- Mayor Bill de Blasio at a news conference early on Friday said "New Yorkers have no reason to be alarmed... Every hospital in the city is prepared in case other patients come forward.""It is our understanding very few people were in direct contact with him... Every protocol has been followed."
- "We're hoping for a good outcome for this individual," he said.
- New York State Governor Mario Cuomo also said that proper procedures are being followed in treating the patient.
- "We have the situation under control," he said. "The more facts you know, the less frightening the situation is."
The doctor reported his fever on Thursday morning, and
Doctors Without Borders said it promptly notified the city health department. The patient, who returned to the United States within the past 21 days, is being treated at Bellevue Hospital, the health department said. Twenty-one days is the maximum incubation period for Ebola.
Bellevue, a historic city hospital, is one of the eight hospitals in New York state designated earlier this month as part of an Ebola preparedness plan.
Source: Al Jazeera...More...
SOLDIER SHOT AT CANADIAN WAR MEMORIAL IN OTTAWA
OTTAWA, Ont, Canada - A man with a rifle shot a soldier standing guard at the War Memorial in downtown Ottawa, and witnesses said there were further shots fired on Parliament Hill nearby.
It was not immediately known if there were further injuries.
Alain Merisier. who works at the cafeteria in the Parliament
building, told CBC News that said he saw a man in a car at the Centre
Block with a long gun.
Witnesses said they then heard shots fired, and there was an
unconfirmed report of a person injured outside the Library of
Parliament.
Police confirmed the shooting at the War Memorial, and sealed off the
area while the injured soldier was given emergency medical aid. He was
later put into an ambulance.
- Scott Walsh, who was working on Parliament Hill, said he saw a man running with double-barrelled shotgun, wearing a scarf and blue jeans.
Walsh said the man hopped over the wall or fence that surrounds
Parliament Hill, with his gun forcing someone out of their car.
He then
drove to the front doors of Parliament and fired at least two shot,
Walsh said. Police said the man was not yet in custody.
The National War Memorial stands in Confederation Square in the heart
of downtown Ottawa. The Parliament buildings and the Gatineau Hills are
in the background.
Source: CBC, CNN
UN SECRETARY GENERAL PRAISES MALAYSIA’ POVERTY REDUCTION
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today commended Malaysia for
“making great strides” in reducing poverty, adding that the country must share
its experiences with the world to enhance development in other nations.“Your experiences can help countries throughout the global South, and I urge Malaysia to look at how it can increase South-South cooperation,” Mr. Ban said in a speech at the Institute for Diplomacy and Foreign Relations in the capital, Kuala Lumpur.
In his remarks, Mr. Ban underlined that Malaysia has made
remarkable progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – the
globally agreed blueprint for halving extreme poverty, halting the spread of
diseases, promoting access to education and improving health care – ahead of
the 2015 deadline.
“Millions of people have been lifted from poverty. With such
success comes responsibility. This is your chance to assume leadership,” he
said, adding that the country must now focus on working on finding ways to
achieve sustainable development economically, socially and environmentally.In addition, during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak, Mr. Ban praised the country for its efforts to maintain unity while respecting ethnic and religious diversity.
“Malaysia is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and
multi-cultural country. Promoting unity among diversity, promoting one Malaysia
among Malaysians is a great vision, not only for the Malaysian people, but also
for the region,” he said. “This is exactly what the United Nations tries to promote worldwide.”
Source: UN News Centre
MALAYSIAN ANWAR BELIEVES COURT WILL REVERSE SODOMY CONVICTION?
De facto PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today expressed
confidence that his sodomy conviction would be overturned by the federal court.The opposition leader was in Little India in Klang today where he visited shops and chatted with the locals, who are busy preparing for Deepavali tomorrow.
"What excuse will the authorities use for convicting me? The Kajang move? It is already over as the appellate court had used that as an excuse."
Asked whether he had enlisted the aid of foreign leaders,
Anwar pointed out that even Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had done the
same.
"Has Najib not asked for assistance from United States
president Barack Obama on certain issues which Malaysia faced?
"The issue here is defending the principles of freedom, democracy and the rule of law. It is applied and practiced everywhere."
Anwar said the BBC and the Daily Telegraph in England had
interviewed him, and he told them that those who upheld these principles would
be supported anywhere.
Anwar said the sodomy appeal due to be heard by the court next week was not just about him, but innocents being wrongfully imprisoned.
The federal court is scheduled to hear Anwar's appeal on the sodomy conviction on
October 28 and 29. On March 7, the Court of
Appeal overturned his sodomy acquittal by the
high court two years ago.
"The issue here is defending the principles of freedom, democracy and the rule of law. It is applied and practiced everywhere."
Anwar said the BBC and the Daily Telegraph in England had
interviewed him, and he told them that those who upheld these principles would
be supported anywhere.Anwar said the sodomy appeal due to be heard by the court next week was not just about him, but innocents being wrongfully imprisoned.
The federal court is scheduled to hear Anwar's appeal on the sodomy conviction on
October 28 and 29. On March 7, the Court of
Appeal overturned his sodomy acquittal by the
high court two years ago.
The federal court is scheduled to hear Anwar's appeal on the sodomy conviction on October 28 and 29.
On March 7, the Court of Appeal overturned his sodomy acquittal by the high court two years ago.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/confident-anwar-believes-court-will-reverse-sodomy-conviction#sthash.Drg36Aee.dpuf
On March 7, the Court of Appeal overturned his sodomy acquittal by the high court two years ago.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/confident-anwar-believes-court-will-reverse-sodomy-conviction#sthash.Drg36Aee.dpuf
Source: The Malaysia Insider
FILIPINO TEEN WINS X-FACTOR AUSTRALIA
Fifteen-year-old Filipino singer Marlisa Punzalan proved she has the biggest X factor, winning Australia's most popular reality talent competition on Monday.
Punzalan is the youngest singer to win X Factor Australia, besting 22-year-old rock singer Dean Ray and Brothers 3 in the grand finals.
"I just can't believe, I feel like I'm floating on a cloud right now," Punzalan said after being declared the winner in the show, which was attended by singer Taylor Swift.
Punzalan stood out with her powerful vocals and stage presence. For her final song, she sang a supercharged version of Titanium, earning praise from the judges.
Singer and former Boyzone member Ronan Keating, who mentored Punzalan, expressed her praise for teen.
Punzalan, the daughter of Filipino migrants in Australia, is the only Filipino performer who made it to the finals. Trill, a group of Filipino teenagers, were eliminated in the first live show.
"Thank you so much, everyone who voted and everyone who supported me,
thank you so much. I couldn't have gotten this far," Punzalan said in a
video message to fans.
Source: Gulfnews
AUSTRALIA'S PARLIMENT HOUSE LIFTS FACE VEIL BAN
Australia's Parliament House on Monday lifted a short-lived ban on
facial coverings including burqas and niqabs after the prime minister
intervened.
The government department that runs Parliament House announced earlier
this month that "persons with facial coverings" would no longer be
allowed in the open public galleries of the House of Representatives or
the Senate.
Instead, they were to be directed to galleries usually
reserved for noisy schoolchildren, where they could sit behind
sound-proof glass.
The Oct. 2 announcement was made a few hours before the end of the final
sitting day of Parliament's last two-week session and had no practical
effect.
Hours before Parliament was to resume on Monday, the Department of
Parliamentary Services, or DPS, said in a statement that people wearing
face coverings would again be allowed in all public areas of Parliament
House.
- It said face coverings would have to be removed temporarily at the security check point at the front door so that staff could "identify any person who may have been banned from entering Parliament House or who may be known, or discovered, to be a security risk."
- A DPS official, who declined to be named, citing department policy, said that by late Monday no visitor to Parliament House that day had a covered face. Face veils are rarely seen in the building.
The ban on face veils in the public galleries had been widely condemned
as a segregation of Muslim women and a potential breach of federal
anti-discrimination laws.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott later revealed that he had not been notified
in advance that the ban was planned and had asked House Speaker Bronwyn
Bishop to "rethink that decision."
Source: ABC...More...
'I WANT TO TOUCH A DOG' EVENT A BIG HIT WITH MALAYSIAN MUSLIMS
KUALA TERENGGANU, Malaysia - The Department of Islamic Development of
Malaysia (Jakim) will conduct a thorough investigation on the organising
of the 'I Want To Touch A Dog' event that took place at Central Park,
One Utama near Petaling Jaya on Sunday.
Jakim director-general Datuk Othman Mustapha(photo) said the event should
not have taken place and Jakim regretted the irresponsible attitude of
the organisers who were not concerned with the sensitivities of Muslims
in the country.
"This event has never been held previously and is the first time being exposed to the community.
“We are Muslims and our religion has stated clearly the penalty regarding dogs.
"Jakim will investigate the matter immediately and any action will be
referred to the existing provisions," he told reporters after
officiating the national level religious school principals conference
here Sunday night.
He was commenting on the organising of the programme that received
overwhelming response from Muslims in and around the federal capital.
Source: Bernama, The Malaysian Insider...Full Story
2 OF 5 JAPANESE FEMALE CABINET MINISTER RESIGN
TOKYO, Japan - - Two
of the five women in Shinzo Abe’s Japanese Cabinet resigned today beset by
allegations of misusing political funds, dealing a blow to the Prime Minister’s
efforts to boost the profile of women.Justice Minister Midori Matsushima handed in her notice just hours after Industry Minister Yuko Obuchi tendered her resignation, the Prime Minister told reporters.
Economy Trade and Industry Minister Obuchi and Justice
Minister Matsushima submitted resignations,he said.The two were elevated to the Cabinet in September, as part of a reshuffle that saw five women appointed to key roles, tying the record for the most ever in Japan.
Obuchi, the daughter of a former Prime Minister, was the highest profile of the five.
- “I’m the person who appointed the two. As Prime Minister, I take responsibility for this and deeply apologise for this situation,” Prime Minister said, adding he would replace them both within the day.
Source: AFP
SIA PLANE HITS TURBULENCE, 22 PASSANGERS AND CREW INJURED
Twenty-two passengers and crew were injured when an Airbus
A380 plane operated by Singapore Airlines (SIA) and travelling from the
city-state to Mumbai hit sudden turbulence during descent, the carrier said
today.The extent of the injuries during the turbulence aboard Flight SQ 424 yesterday were not given, but SIA said all the injured
were
attended to by medical personnel on arrival at Mumbai Airport.Eight passengers and 14 crew were hurt, the airline said in a statement. Ten of the injured crew members required hospitalisation but all have been discharged, SIA said.
All eight passengers were also taken to hospital and six have been discharged, the airline added.
SIA said the plane "experienced sudden turbulence during descent". There were 408 passengers and 25 crew on board.
Source: AFP
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